Opening weekend reports

[wannafish2]

I don't have a problem with a young hunter shooting and missing. I do question slinging slugs at running deer. When standing on the ground and shooting at a deer (walking, jogging, running) and missing, that projectile can go a long long long way. Even if it is a slug. There is no way you could possibly know what is behind his target, even in the open fields.

While I am glad your son is seeing deer, I'm not convinced that he is being put in the right position to build a love for deer hunting, or for him to be successful. Please reconsider what type of opportunities you try to provide him. give him a chance to be successful and safe (and ethical). Good luck.

Wannafish2

[laker1]

+1 Why a kid would have the green light on a running deer is hard to comprehend.

agree

[jbell1981]

You guys can rag all you want, until you hunt this area you can't comprehend it. 90% of the deer in this area are shot on drives. Deer that are driven are running, so 90% deer are shot running. 10-15 slugs in a weekend isn't many for an adult, little lone a kid. This is how it been done around here for 50 years here including the last 21 that I have been hunting and will be for the next 50. Deer here don't move in daylight. We sit around until its light enough, usually around 8, then form drives in all the little 1-5 acre groves, slough shores, ditches and fence-lines until dusk. Then sit for the last .5-1 hour. Then repeat the next day. You don't get deer often in this area sitting in a stand and if you do its usually the result of a drive in the area. You can't learn how to shoot running deer at a range or by watching them run by. I'm done and won't post again. It's this kind of talk that made me stop coming to these forum and I guess I should have stayed gone.

Continue ragging.

[hockeybc69]

A kid shooting at a running deer to cut his teeth? Unreal.

We dont allow anyone on our land to even shoot at a running deer unless there is visible injury(AKA wounded). If the deer has been wounded, then shoot at all costs to hopefully put it down.

A coworker of mine had the extended tube on his Benelli semi auto for deer hunting. Bragging about rolling deer, they get up and thump em again. Just insane stories and he just loved it. It was hard to listen to it to be honest. How many deer go curl up and die. I just hate drives.

To each their own. Enjoy your "hunt" if you can call it that I guess.

[120345gd]

Come on guys, give Jbell a break! He's reasonably explained that they hunt in a slugs only zone on the flat prairie. Because a rifle bullet travels so far is precisely the reason why it is slugs only. It is pretty difficult to stalk a 1 acre grove of woods also.

Hitting a stationary deer with a slug is hard enough let alone a running deer. He is right - how can one practice for this type of how hunting? I suppose he could shoot clay pigeons or vermin perhaps. But until one has hunted deer on a prairie, they really should not take as much issue with it as some people on here are. It almost sounds like some people are jealous because that many deer were seen during a lean year. But give the kid the benefit of the doubt because i am sure his intentions were ethical. And his luck will change one day...

[LightningBG]

I say have at it. He'll get better over time. Have a good time out there and try to get one in the bag.

I hunt out of a stand these days and probably haven't shot 15 rounds in the past 5 years. But I've also done some pretty interesting drives on islands out in Lake Michigan. Going through 10-15 rounds in a day wasn't anything out of the ordinary for the folks up there.

[ESSGuy]

183 Nemadji, opener 3 days 5 guys saw 1 fork. Yesterday and today 4 guys are up to 23 does with the same fork. Better movement since the snow, or at least easier to see.

[mrklean]

You guys can rag all you want, until you hunt this area you can't comprehend it. 90% of the deer in this area are shot on drives. Deer that are driven are running, so 90% deer are shot running. 10-15 slugs in a weekend isn't many for an adult, little lone a kid. This is how it been done around here for 50 years here including the last 21 that I have been hunting and will be for the next 50. Deer here don't move in daylight. We sit around until its light enough, usually around 8, then form drives in all the little 1-5 acre groves, slough shores, ditches and fence-lines until dusk. Then sit for the last .5-1 hour. Then repeat the next day. You don't get deer often in this area sitting in a stand and if you do its usually the result of a drive in the area. You can't learn how to shoot running deer at a range or by watching them run by. I'm done and won't post again. It's this kind of talk that made me stop coming to these forum and I guess I should have stayed gone.

Continue ragging.

This is the EXACT reason I stopped slug hunting in Southern MN at age 15 and started bowhunting, it was no fun and just sad seeing the number of wounded deer from poor shot selection and running shots

[Farmsfulltime]

area 225 deer everywhere tonight already filled out but they were in field edges two hours before dark . Mature does not with the fawns

[Boar]

Thats how i grew up huntng the first ten years. .drives drives drives. Had an awsome time. Lots of memories with family and freinds. Just part of alot of peoplss traditiins and heritage. I dont do it anymore and enjoynjust sitting with my kids in a stand.

[barebackjack]

Yeah JBell, your teaching him all wrong, you should teach him how to road hunt.... You teach him the way you see fit, he will get his first deer in time.

[laker1]

I see different opinions here,some respect the animal as they should,some do not.

A true sportsmen hunter does not shoot if he has any chance of just wounding a animal. Everyone will sooner or later lose a animal,that goes with the territory.

Shot over 100 deer in my life and lost 1 animal. Yes I just have been lucky,but are party doesn't shoot unless your almost sure you are going to kill the animal. You owe that much to any animal.

[ESSGuy]

I see different opinions here,some respect the animal as they should,some do not.

A true sportsmen hunter does not shoot if he has any chance of just wounding a animal. Everyone will sooner or later lose a animal,that goes with the territory.

Shot over 100 deer in my life and lost 1 animal. Yes I just have been lucky,but are party doesn't shoot unless your almost sure you are going to kill the animal. You owe that much to any animal.

totally agree, in 30 years I've taken probably 20 deer and had to only fire 25 shots. Deer are a majestic animal and deserve a quick kill.

[PurpleFloyd]

This is the EXACT reason I stopped slug hunting in Southern MN at age 15 and started bowhunting, it was no fun and just sad seeing the number of wounded deer from poor shot selection and running shots

I still hunt that way and bow hunters are in no way immune. I have harvested 3 bucks over the past 30 years that had broken off arrows in them. One in the back above the shoulders, one in a hind quarter and one in the front quarters. I don't begrudge them because that sort of thing happens in every type of hunt.

[jbell1981]

I see different opinions here,some respect the animal as they should,some do not.

A true sportsmen hunter does not shoot if he has any chance of just wounding a animal. Everyone will sooner or later lose a animal,that goes with the territory.

Shot over 100 deer in my life and lost 1 animal. Yes I just have been lucky,but are party doesn't shoot unless your almost sure you are going to kill the animal. You owe that much to any animal.

Ahhhh, I see. Since I hunt a different way than you do that makes me unethical slob hunter that doesn't respect animals. Well maybe someday I will reach "true sportsmen" status like you.

[96trigger]

Quote:

A true sportsmen hunter does not shoot if he has any chance of just wounding a animal.

That is the most ridiculous statement I have read on here. Every time you pull the trigger you have a chance at wounding the deer. Every...single....time. The only time you don't have a chance at wounding the deer is when you don't pull the trigger. I understand what you are getting at, but it's more ethics, than being a sportsman.

[nofishfisherman]

jbell, I understand the way hunting is done where you hunt. Its not for me but I realize the game is different there. However, in your post regarding your 10 year old son having trouble seeing in low light conditions you indicate you had some chances at seeing deer early and late that were not running. Why not set your older son up to take a deer in these situations where he's not required to shoot at running deer? Let him get more confidence in his shooting and give him a better chance to tag a deer. As his skills develop then consider giving him the green light on the drives.

And as for there being no way to practice these types of shots I would disagree. Maybe you can't perfectly replicate a running shot but there is still things you can do. Try setting up three targets, one at the 10 oclock position, one at 12 oclock, and one at 2 oclock. Set your son up at a distance that replicates the length of shots he'll be taking and have him shoot at each target moving right to left and then left to right. Obviously the targets aren't moving but he'll have to move the barrel, and he'll have to learn to find his target quickly and take aim as he moves from target to target. If he can't move his barrel and hit three stationary targets then you know he's not reading for a running deer. If he can consistently put a good hit on the targets as he moves side to side and can do it with some speed then you'll know he's ready.

I'm not trying to condemn the way you hunt, to each his own. I'm just trying to offer some constructive criticism that will hopefully result in a kid bagging a nice deer.

[jbell1981]

However, in your post regarding your 10 year old son having trouble seeing in low light conditions you indicate you had some chances at seeing deer early and late that were not running. Why not set your older son up to take a deer in these situations where he's not required to shoot at running deer? Let him get more confidence in his shooting and give him a better chance to tag a deer. As his skills develop then consider giving him the green light on the drives.

He is set up in these situations and does have a chance there. But these chances generally only occur during the first half hour and last half hour of the day at dusk and dawn. I'm not going to limit my son to 1 hour of hunting a day to make internet trolls happy.

[nofishfisherman]

Believe it or not, not everyone who offers advice or honest criticism is a troll. You may not like what you hear but I think most of us are simply voicing honest concern.

Do what you like but please do give some consideration to setting your son up with some additional practice like I mentioned. Worst thing that can happen is he becomes a better hunter and shows up all the old guys at camp. What a shame that would be

[jbell1981]

Sorry, I wasn't referring to you as a troll but some others. I do appreciate legitimate advice but a lot of whats given here is more like "if it's not my way, its the wrong way". Those posts are pointless and don't help anyone.

However it does appear like you and others just assume I give my sons a gun and say have at it. Believe or not that do quite a bit of target shooting and other hunting.

[96trigger]

I've always wanted to put a board in a tire and roll it down a hill to see how many times I could hit it with a slug. We don't do deer drives anymore, but we used to do them all the time until we figured out we got just as many if not more deer by sitting all day. I also know that I hunt differently now and I don't normally have to take a lot of shots. Bow hunting really made me a much better deer hunter. Some people forget what it's like to be 13 during deer season. I took my 15 year old nephew out in the stand last week and we had some shots at running deer but I wouldn't let him take them. You know why? Because I am experienced, and I know low percentage shots. If I hadn't been there he would have taken them. Sometimes it's how you learn, and yes, things get wounded along the way. Some times you have to miss before you learn how to (remember to) aim. We shoot moving targets all the time.